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Sharks' Dan Boyle returns home

Thursday, 10.17.2013 / 1:35 AM
NHL.com

San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle returned home Wednesday after spending a night in a hospital following a hit by Maxime Lapierre of the St. Louis Blues during the Sharks' 6-2 road victory against the Blues on Tuesday.

The Sharks continue their road trip against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, but coach Todd McLellan opted to cancel a scheduled practice.

"It was an emotional day," McLellan said.

Boyle was checked into the boards from behind by Lapierre early in the first period and left the game on a stretcher. Lapierre has been suspended and will have an in-person disciplinary hearing with the NHL concerning the hit.

"I'm OK," he wrote in a text to David Pollock of the San Jose Mercury News. "That was scary. Hopefully the symptoms will be very minor, if any, going forward."

The Sharks said it was too soon to know the status of the 37-year-old defenseman.

"We are getting him back to San Jose to be with his family and to continue his medical care with our staff," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson told the Mercury News. "The evaluation will continue from there."

Lapierre, a ninth-year NHL veteran in his first season with the Blues, told reporters in St. Louis that he tried to phone Boyle to apologize, but there was no answer.

"Obviously, it's a tough day for him and his family, and it's tough for him to answer a guy who just hit him," Lapierre said. "But I'm going to try to call him back later in the year when it's a better point."

NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks and NHL Mobile name and logo, NHL GameCenter and Unlimited NHL are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams.